Teacher Vacancies

26. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what is the current level of teacher vacancies in London ; and if
he will make a statement.

35. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what is the current level of teacher vacancies throughout London ;
and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave to
the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 12 June 1990, Official Report,
column 168. My right hon. Friend hopes to publish later this month the data
for teacher vacancies as at January 1990.

University Education

27. Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Education
and Science what is the average cost of university education over the three
years of graduates in (a) social sciences, (b) languages and (c) physical
sciences.

Mr. Jackson : Expenditure is not disaggregated in the form
requested. However, an indication of the costs of teaching in the relevant
subjects met annually from block grant and tuition fees is given by the
University Funding Council's current "guide prices", as follows :

Adult Vocational Training

28. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what funding has been made available for 1990-91 to support adult
vocational training initiatives.

Mr. Jackson : In 1990-91, a total of £16 million is available
to support adult vocational training initiatives from funds made available
by my right hon. Friend.

Language Teaching

Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science
if he will make a statement on recent progress in promoting the teaching of
Spanish, German and Russian in maintained schools.

Mrs. Rumbold : The national curriculum includes a modern foreign
language as a foundation subject to be studied by all pupils aged 11 to 16
in maintained secondary schools. German, Russian and Spanish are among the
languages which may qualify as the foreign language foundation subject.
Within this framework, we are encouraging schools to offer a greater
diversity of languages such as German, Spanish and Russian and we have made
provision within the specific grant programme for 1991-92 for local
education authorities to bid for funds for the diversification of first
foreign languages.

Universities

30. Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science whether he has recently had any meetings with the chairman of the
University Funding Council to discuss funding and management of
universities.

Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend meets the chairman of the
Universities Funding Council from time to time in the course of normal
business.

Pupil-Teacher Ratios

31. Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what is the pupil-teacher ratio in England and Wales ; and what
information he has on the figure for Japan.

Mr. Alan Howarth : The readily available information for the United
Kingdom, upon which international comparisons are usually made, and Japan,
is as follows :

Pupil/teacher ratios by level, 1985-86
|Japan |UK<1>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 1st level (nursery and primary) |22.4<2> |22.0<3>
2nd level (secondary and further education) |19.1 |14.2<3><4>
<1> The overall ratio for public sector schools in England decreased from
18.9 in 1978-79 to 17.0 in 1987-88. The corresponding ratios for Wales are
19.3 and 18.6. Government policy has been to allow teacher numbers to fall
at a slower rate than pupil numbers.
<2> Partly estimated.
<3> Public sector.
<4> The UK figure for secondary schools only is 15.7.

Schools, Bradford

36. Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science when he next intends to visit Bradford to look at maintained
schools.

Mr. Alan Howarth : I hope to take up the hon. Member's invitation to
visit Bradford during the next academic year.

National Curriculum

38. Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science if he will make a statement on implementation of the national
curriculum.

60. Mr. Buckley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what progress has been made on the introduction of the national
curriculum ; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold : There is welcome evidence from Her Majesty's
inspectorate that many schools have made a satisfactory start in
implementing the national curriculum. My right hon. Friend is taking steps
to ensure that the introduction of the new requirements is manageable for
teachers.

City Technology Colleges

39. Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the city technology
college programme.

Mrs. Rumbold : The city technology college programme continues to
make excellent progress. Three colleges are up and running, a further eight
are due to open in September 1990 and 1991, and my right hon. Friend is
currently consulting on proposals for a further three.

41. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what has been the total amount of government expenditure on the
city technology college programme to date ; and if he will make a
statement.

Mrs. Rumbold : Up to the end of the 1989-90 financial year, a total
of £46 million has been incurred on the CTC programme, covering
project start-up costs, capital and recurrent funding.

Teachers (Overseas Advertising)

40. Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for
Education and Science if he has any plans to issue guidelines to local
education authorities regarding overseas advertising for teaching staff ;
and if he will make a statement.

49. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science if he has any plans to issue guidelines to local education
authorities regarding overseas advertising for teaching staff ; and if he
will make a statement.

66. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education
and Science when he intends to issue

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guidelines to local education authorities
regarding overseas advertising for teaching staff ; and if he will make a
statement.

Mr. Alan Howarth : I refer the hon. Members to the reply that my
hon. Friend the Minister of State gave earlier today to the hon. Member for
Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. Dunnachie).

Pupil Testing

42. Mr. Carr : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what progress he has to report following the pilot projects
standard assessment tests at seven years.

53. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science if he will make a statement on the implementation of his current
proposals to introduce testing of children at seven years of age.

62. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what progress he has to report following the pilot projects for
standard assessment tests at seven years.

Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what are his plans for the introduction of testing of children at
seven years of age.

Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Members to the replies that I gave
to the hon. Member for Durham, North-West (Ms. Armstrong) on 20 June 1990,
Official Report, column 558 and on 26 June 1990, Official Report, column
133.

Fairfield High School

43. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for
Education and Science if he will make an official visit to Fairfield high
school in Herefordshire to examine the pyramid arrangements with local
primary schools.

Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend has no present plans to
visit Hereford and Worcester. I myself paid an official visist there in
November last year, and was glad to have the opportunity to see some
excellent practices in the schools I visited.

Under-fives

48. Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science when he expects to report to Parliament the findings of the
committee examining education for the under-fives ; and if he will make a
statement.

Mrs. Rumbold : I expect to submit the report of the committee to my
right hon. Friend shortly.

School-leaving Age

50. Mr. Holt : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science if he will give further consideration to bringing forward
legislation to bring the statutory school-leaving age into line with other
European countries.

Mr. Alan Howarth : No. The Government believe that young people
should be allowed a real choice at age 16 of the various forms of education
and training on offer, or of

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commencing employment. There has never been
so high a proportion of young people in the 16 to 19 age group engaged in
education or training.

Education, Gloucestershire

55. Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science when he next expects to meet the director of education of
Gloucestershire county council to discuss education in

Gloucestershire.

Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet him.

Secondary Schools, Staffordshire

56. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science how much was spent per pupil at secondary schools in Staffordshire
in the most recent year for which figures are available ; and what was the
comparable figure in 1978-79, at constant prices.

Mr. Alan Howarth : In actual cash Staffordshire spent £530 per
secondary pupil in 1978-79 and £1,610 per secondary pupil in 1988-89.
At 1988-89 prices those figures are £1,165 and £1,610
respectively.

School Building and Improvements

58. Mr. Ashton : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what was the total sum requested by local authorities for new
school building and improvements last year ; and what was the total sum
allocated.

Mr. Alan Howarth : The total of LEA plans for education capital
expenditure in 1989-90 was £1.03 billion. The capital allocation was
£352 million. The total of LEA plans for 1990-91 was over £1.3
billion. Under the new system of local government capital finance, my right
hon. Friend has announced the availability of annual capital guidelines for
education of £485 million.

Grammar Schools

61. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Education
and Science if he will make a statement about the future of grammar school
education in England.

Mr. Alan Howarth : It is for local education authorities to decide
whether to bring forward proposals to change the pattern of organisation of
their schools, including the establishment or discontinuance of grammar
schools. My right hon. Friend considers all such proposals on their merits,
having regard to the wishes of local parents.

Teacher Recruitment, Essex

63. Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Secretary of State for Education
and Science if he will make a statement about teacher recruitment in Essex.

Mr. Alan Howarth : Essex is receiving £60,000 education support
grant this year to help with a programme of measures to improve teacher
recruitment. These include the appointment of a recruitment team, local
refresher courses for those returning to teaching, counselling facilities,
work shadowing, keeping in touch schemes, local advertising campaigns and
the provision of four creches for teachers' children.

Column 184

In addition the local education authority
and the county council's housing department are negotiating with a housing
association to provide low-cost accommodation for teachers ; the LEA plans
to recruit 25 licensed teachers and is co-operating with Thames polytechnic
and other LEAs on a scheme to recruit teachers from the Netherlands.

Special Needs Education, Hampshire

64. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what representations he has received concerning the funding of
special needs education in Hampshire ; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend has received a number of
representations from schools in Hampshire concerning the funding
arrangements for pupils with special educational needs, in the authority's
scheme for the local management of schools. He has approved these
arrangements for the first year of the scheme's operation only. Officers in
the authority are working with schools to determine funding arrangements
which reflect more clearly and objectively the needs of Hampshire's schools
and their pupils.

Deaf and Blind Children

65. Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science when he last reviewed the educational provisions for deaf and blind
children.

Mr. Alan Howarth : The Department wrote to all local education
authorities in England on 18 May 1990, asking for their views on the
education of deaf-blind children and what provision they made at present
for such education. This survey follows up the policy statement on the
education of deaf-blind children which the Department published in March
1989.

Foreign Languages

69. Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science if he proposes to take steps to encourage the study of foreign
languages.

Mrs. Rumbold : The Government are concerned to increase the number
of pupils continuing to study a modern foreign language until age 16 and
beyond. That is why the national curriculum includes a modern foreign
language as a foundation subject to be studied by all pupils aged 11 to 16
in maintained secondary schools. The national curriculum working group for
modern foreign languages is due to submit its final report by the end of
this month, to enable attainment targets and programmes of study for modern
foreign languages to be implemented in schools from autumn 1992.

Teacher Supply

70. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science whether he has received any representations from teachers in the
northern and midland regions regarding the level of teacher supply.

Mr. Alan Howarth : No regional breakdown of statistics of
correspondence received is available. My right hon. Friend has certainly
received correspondence from the northern and midland regions--as from
elsewhere.

Column 185

Global Environmental Programmes

71. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Education
and Science what proportion of the science budget for 1990-91 is being
committed specifically for research into global environmental programmes.

Mr. Jackson : In the 1990-91 financial year, it is estimated that
some 5 per cent. of the science budget of £897 million will be spent
on research into global environmental programmes.

School Finance

Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science
how many local education authorities have published notices in accordance
with section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988 ; and if he will list for
each local education authority what proportion of the general schools
budget is devolved to schools or indicate when such information is expected
to be available.

Mrs. Rumbold : Of the 87 local education authorities required to
prepare budget statements for 1990-91 under section 42 of the Education
Reform Act, 53 have submitted statements to date. Officials are in contact
with the remaining LEAs to ensure that the statements are made available as
soon as possible. A table containing as much of the information requested
as is available will be published before the end of the month.

Universities (Expenditure)

Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science
when he last met the Association of University Teachers to discuss the
level of spending on the universities.

Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend met the AUT in November 1989. He
has received that association's recent substantial statement on this
subject but has not met it to discuss its points further.

Women (Higher Education)

Dame Jill Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science what was the proportion of women in higher education (a) today and
(b) 10 years ago.

Mr. Jackson : In 1988-89, a total of 44 per cent. of all home full-
time and part-time students in higher education in Great Britain were
women. The comparable figure for the academic year 1979-80 was 37 per cent.

Chemistry Students

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science if he will take steps to encourage and enable the Universities
Funding Council to increase the number of polymer chemists leaving higher
education.

Column 186

Mr. Jackson : No. It is for institutions, in consultation with the
Universities Funding Council, to determine levels of provision in the light
of perceived demand.

Management Information Systems

Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and
Science, when his Department will publish the report on management
information systems for colleges of further education ; and if he will make
a statement.

Mr. Jackson : The project team commissioned by the Department,
together with the Training Agency and the Welsh Office, to conduct a
quality assurance study of computerised management information systems in
further education, presented its findings in March this year. It was
decided that the greatest value would be obtained from the study if a
report was produced which set the team's findings within a wider national
context and drew attention to related developments. This report is
currently being written and should be ready for publication in early
autumn.

Special Schools

Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science
whether he intends to amend the regulations made under section 12 of the
Education Act 1981 relating to the approval of special schools ; and if he
will make a statement.

Mr. Alan Howarth : The Department has today issued for consultation
draft amending regulations and a related draft circular which will update
requirements for the approval of special schools. Copies have been placed
in the Library.

Physical Education

Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science
whether he intends to set up a working group to recommend attainment
targets and programmes of study for physical education within the national
curriculum for England and Wales.

Mr. MacGregor : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for
Wales and I have decided to establish a working group for physical
education. The group will advise on the attainment targets and programmes
of study for physical education to be included within the national
curriculum in England and Wales.

The terms of reference and details of membership for the working group will
be published tomorrow ; copies will be placed in the Library.

Column 187

DEFENCE

Terrorism

Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what
initiatives have been and are being taken by the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation to combat terrorism.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : As part of their regular consultations on
matters affecting their security, the NATO allies occasionally discuss
terrorism, but practical co-operation against terrorism is developed in
other international bodies.

Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the
number of British Service personnel killed or injured in Northern Ireland,
for each year since 1969, as a result of a terrorist incident.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The number of armed forces personnel killed,
wounded or injured as a result of the security situation in Northern
Ireland for each year from 1969 to 1990 is as follows :

These figures include Regular Army, UDR (part-time and permanent cadre),
RM, RN and RAF personnel. They do not include the TA or reserve forces,
which have no security role in Northern Ireland.

Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the
number of British service personnel, killed or injured in terrorist
attacks, since August 1989 ; where these incidents took place ; and what
was the nature of each incident.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : Between 1 August 1989 and 5 July 1990 29
service personnel were killed in terrorist bombing or shooting attacks ; 13
in Great Britain, two in West Germany, and 14 in Northern Ireland.

Over the same period 66 service personnel were wounded or injured in
terrorist shooting and bombing attacks ; 26 in Great Britain, two in West
Germany, and 38 in Northern Ireland .

Column 188

Details of the terrorist bombing and
shooting attacks that caused these deaths and injuries are as follows :

Date, casualties, location and nature of incident

1 September 1989

Two soldiers were seriously injured when they were shot outside York
barracks, Munster, West Germany.

16 September 1989

One regular soldier was shot and killed at RUC Coalisland, Northern
Ireland.

22 September 1989

Eleven regular soldiers were killed and 22 injured when a bomb exploded at
the Royal Marines school of music in Deal, Kent, England.

7 October 1989

One regular soldier was seriously injured when a hijacked van exploded in
the Waterside, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

26 October 1989

Three regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when they came under
close-range mortar fire at Crossmaglen, Northern Ireland. 26 October 1989

One RAF airman was shot and killed at Wildenrath, West Germany. 17 November
1989

One part-time UDR soldier was fatally wounded when he was ambushed and shot
by gunmen as he left his place of duty in Armagh, Northern Ireland, to go
home.

18 November 1989

Three regular soldiers were killed and one very seriously injured near
Mayobridge, South Down, Northern Ireland, when their vehicle was blown up
by a bomb buried by the side of the road.

18 November 1989

One regular soldier was very seriously injured when an under-car booby trap
(UCBT) exploded under his vehicle at the Army married quarters in
Colchester, Essex, England.

27 November 1989

Two regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when a bomb in Merrion
Park, West Belfast, was detonated as their military patrol passed by it.

28 November 1989

One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, as he took cover from, and
was hit by, a hoax device thrown over the wall at RUC Springfield road,
Belfast.

1 December 1989

One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was injured, not seriously, when he was
shot by a gunman in the legs and buttocks near Londonderry. 11 December
1989

Three regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when a public house in
Londonderry was bombed and masonry fell onto their vehicle. 13 December
1989

Two regular soldiers were killed, one seriously injured, and one not
seriously injured during a multiple weapon attack upon the permanent
vehicle checkpoint (PVCP) at Derryard, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

3 January 1990

One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was very seriously injured in Co.
Londonderry, Northern Ireland, when a UCBT exploded under his vehicle.